Read-Love-Blog

Review…Skin in the Game by Jackie Barbosa

by Jilly

Buy from Amazon ~ Buy from Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:

Angela Peterson was always the quiet, shy kid growing up in Harper Falls, crushing on the high school quarterback and honing her football strategy skills. Now grown up and coaching the high school team, she’s shocked when that same sexy quarterback returns to Harper Falls asks her back to his hotel room. And then tries to steal her job.

Injured NFL quarterback Cade Reynolds is in Harper Falls to take over as interim head coach, and he never thought the tall, blond bombshell he propositioned would offer up any resistance. Not to a repeat of the amazingly wild night they shared and certainly not to his coaching position.

But the Harper Falls High Eagles are Angie’s team, and even the hometown hero won’t take that away from her, no matter how hot he is. As the two engage in a battle of wits and wills, this is one game neither is prepared to lose.

My Review:

Skin in the Game is book #1 in Jackie Barbosa’s Play Action Series and this story definitely kicks the series of with a great start!

Angela Peterson can’t believe her eyes. Is that Cade Reynolds she sees sitting in her little hometown coffee shop? The very same Cade Reynolds NFL quarterback who she’d gone to high school with and had the biggest crush of her life on? What could he be doing back here? Before she can think of those answers, she finds herself sitting at the table with him and accepting an invitation to dinner…now she’s questioning of she should be upset that he didn’t recognize her from all those years ago. Guess she really had changed from the awkward, football fanatic teen he’d known back then.

Cade Reynolds, after being sidelined with an injury, is back in his hometown and ready to help coach his old high school football team at the request of the coach who’d practically raised him. It feels good to be back and feels even better to have met the beautiful blond at the coffee shop this morning. He has a nagging feeling he knows her from somewhere but surely he wouldn’t have forgotten a woman like her. Maybe he can learn more about the sexy high school math teacher over dinner….or room service if he has anything to say about it.

Well, the fates certainly have surprises in store for Cade and Angie. When they realize their history and realize they will both be coaching the football team, sparks start to fly. Their chemistry is undeniable and now, being thrown into a situation where they see each other and work together, they will have to decide if they have something between them worth throwing a pass at. With emotions, and careers at stake, hopefully it won’t end in a fumble.

What a great take on a contemporary romance! I adored the sporty spin on things! It was a fresh and interesting story packed with emotions, sexiness and fun. I really enjoyed Cade and Angie as characters and the chemistry between them was done just right. She wasn’t a starry-eyed gal mooning over the larger than life sports star Cade has become and Cade wasn’t a self-absorbed jock. He was humble when needed most and was really a heart-warming hero. The ending was absolutely perfect and played out like a chick flick and I loved it! Well done, Jackie!

If you’re looking for sweet and sassy with a sporty spin on romance, then definitely pick this book up! Thank you, Ms. Barbosa, for a great read!

Four Loves

About the author:

“I can’t remember a time when I didn’t want to be a writer when I grew up, but there were plenty of times when I wasn’t sure I ever would be. As it turns out, it just took me about twenty years longer to grow up than I expected!

On the road to publication, I took a few detours, including a stint in academia (I hold an MA in Classics from the University of Chicago and was a recipient of a Mellon Fellowship in the Humanities) and many years as a technical writer/instructional designer for a data processing company. I still hold my day job in instructional design, but my true passion is writing steamy romances–both historical and contemporary.

I learned to believe in love at first sight when I met the man of my dreams twenty years ago and to believe in happily ever after when I married him. I live in Southern California with my husband, our three children, and an ever-changing menagerie of pets.”

Website ~ Goodreads ~ Facebook ~ Twitter

Frisky Friday featuring Daniel & Story from Officer Off Limits by Tessa Bailey

by Jilly

This Frisky Friday features the delicious Daniel and Story from Tessa Bailey’s OFFCER OFF LIMITS…..

Enjoy!

Buy from Amazon ~ Buy from Barnes & Noble

“Thanks for dropping me off, Daniel. I assume you know how to let yourself out?”

A muscle working in his jaw, he returned her challenging look. “Are you dismissing me?”

She pursed her lips. “That’s sure what it sounded like.”

“It wouldn’t be disappointing.”

Ha! Mental booty dance. Who’s the expert now, homeboy? Story placed her folded clothes on the bed with a sigh, then turned to face him. “I’ll tell you what. You’ve got one minute to prove me wrong.”

His eyes narrowed. “Elaborate.”

She slipped her phone out of her pocket and held it up. “I’ll set the timer for one minute. You’ll have sixty seconds to prove you’re not just a bunch of talk.”

Daniel glanced at the bed behind her. “The things I want to do to you, Story, would take a lot longer than sixty seconds. Your phone’s battery would die well before I finished.”

“Then show yourself the door,” she managed, her body responding to his blatant honesty.

“Set the damn timer.”

He’d called her bluff. Or maybe she’d called his. Story didn’t know anymore. Only that the electricity sparking between them made her feel anxious and needy. She felt defenseless under his hot regard, the

sensuality he radiated heating her like a roaring fire. If he knew the effect his proximity had on her, she would lose any control she had over the situation. Could

she steal one minute and walk away? She didn’t have any choice, having been the one to throw down the gauntlet.

Story just barely managed to keep her voice even as her fingers unlocked the screen on her phone and she opened the timer application. “Fine. I’m not sure

what you can prove in one minute, but let’s see what you’ve got, big boy.”

“Lift up your skirt.”

The deep tone of his unexpected demand raked across her senses. Composure slipping, her eyes shot to his. “Wh-what?”

“I want your permission.”

“I don’t understand,” she breathed.

“When my minute is up, you need to remember that you asked for it. Lift your skirt.”

One thought and one thought only raced through her mind. Oh God. I am in way over my head here.

She almost called it off right at that moment, but his knowing smirk urged her on. He didn’t think she was brave enough to continue. His arrogance infuriated her, even as it made her want him more. She tossed the phone onto the narrow chest of drawers. Trembling hands dropped to the hem of her jean skirt. She reveled in the satisfaction of watching his jaw loosen, his eyes glaze as they tracked the movement of her fingers. Slowly, she gathered the material in her hands and drew the skirt up her thighs and over her hips to reveal her simple black thong.

Daniel hissed a low sound of approval and started toward her, a determined expression on his face. His hands flexed at his sides like he already imagined them moving over her skin. Panicking, she held him off with one hand to the chest.

“Wait. Your minute hasn’t started yet.”

“Start it. Now.”

Swallowing her nerves, she reached toward her phone. They both watched as her finger tapped the start button displayed on the screen. His minute began.

Time raced past, but Daniel didn’t move right away like she thought he would. His eyes dropped to her mouth and he dipped his head slowly, filling her with anticipation.

One hand came up to frame her jaw. “This isn’t a rebound.”

“Call it whatever you want,” she whispered back.

Lips traced over hers before his tongue dipped inside to sample her mouth, as if seeking the answer to a question. Seconds ticked by while he teased her, exploring her reactions to every brush of his lips, lick of his tongue. If she’d felt exposed before, the feeling increased tenfold as he learned her secrets, drawing them out of her with his kiss. Forcing her to reveal herself.

Then he took his newfound knowledge and used it against her.

With strong, capable hands, Daniel grasped her hips and backed her against the wall with lightning speed. His thigh wedged itself between her legs. No longer gentle or curious, his mouth took complete ownership of hers, fusing it with his in a kiss meant to destroy and rebuild. Despite the brutality behind it, she felt worshiped, as if his pleasure far exceeded her own, which had to be impossible.

Story might as well have never been kissed before. All at once, she felt reckless. Wild. Free. Digging desperate hands into his hair, she pulled him closer, begging him to deepen the kiss further. Daniel obliged, sinking his tongue into her mouth with a growl.

As they parted for breath, his voice grated against her lips. “If you keep working that hot little tongue against mine, I’ll have no choice but to fuck you.”

About the author:

Tessa lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and young daughter. When she isn’t writing or reading romance, Tessa enjoys a good argument and thirty-minute recipes.

Frisky Friday June 2013 New Releases

Blog Tour….My Now & Forever by H.J. Bellus

by Jilly

I am so happy to be a part of the blog tour for My Now & Forever by H.J. Bellus!

I was lucky enough to ask Milly and Lacey some questions (you KNOW they were all kinds of silly and juicy questions) and the gals were kind enough to answer! There’s a great giveaway happening, too! You can enter to win an ecopy of My Now & Forever, a My Now & Forever notebook, cupcake necklace or a 425 Amazon gift card! The rafflecopter is below the interview.

Enjoy!

Me:

Ok gals, so I have to warn you, I’m not really the “serious” type of interviewer. So, I would be asking things like “If you could feed the world, how would you do it?” or “If men really are from Mars, does that mean we’ve been living a sci-fi lie?”. I have a hard time being serious! Serious isn’t as much fun! Ok, so now that’s out of the way, let’s get to business:

Lacey:

Since we can’t actually see your tattoos, can you tell us about some of them?

I got my first tattoo at fifteen to cover up some of my past. I love color and my tattoos color me. I have a blue bird that sits on the middle of my back. A crown and hearts up the side of my left ribs and a skull sits on my hip. My right arm is covered in a sleeve of vines. Each one has a meaning. Some are for the one person I ever loved, my momma. The others for the people I fucking hate in this world. They are reminders to never let anyone hurt me again. Frankly, there are too many to name. I have a colorful tat that covers my lady bits, but you will have to follow my journey to find out what it is.

What’s the absolute worst coffee concoction Milly has made so far?

Jesus! Milly can be such a creative dumbass sometimes. She made a tropical harvest mocha for me once. It had banana, coconut and pumpkin flavoring in the coffee. I fucking tossed my cookies that morning after tasting it. She can really be a dumbass, but she is my favorite dumbass.

One thing you can tell us about Milly that we don’t already know…c’mon…dish it, girl!

Milly likes to take it in the butt. Just kidding! But let’s start that rumor. Tell everyone you know. Let’s see. You all know she is a cum guzzler and completely whorish with her husband. And she has been banged by a hot mechanic. I know! She secretly has a crush on Cee Lo Green. She wants Cee Lo to bend her over and butt fuck her real good. We just need to find a stool for the duo. Sike! What kind of a biotch would I be to give up her secrets? Nice try!

Milly:

Awww….how’s that stud muffin, Cree doing? And Annie?

Cree is simply amazing and hot as ever. He is busy farming and taking care of us. He showers us with sprinkles and unconditional love. Some nights when he is working late my crazy-ass doubt creeps in. I get scared that he has left. I always text or call him when this happens and his sexy ass is home in minutes. Cree makes us Mac n’ Cheese at least once a week and we try to eat pumpkin pie as much as possible.

Annie is still perfect! We are working on getting her cussing under control. You can tell she has been hanging out with us girls way too much. I still remember the night she called Olive a “twat waffle”. I thought Cree was going to choke each of us with his bare hands!

She is the lead in the spring play and totally jacked about playing t-ball this summer.

Willow, Lacey and I still volunteer in her classroom on a regular basis and provide entertainment for ever party. Lacey wanted to slip a laxative into PJ’s snack on the field trip. I convinced her it was inhumane or something like that. PJ really is a little asshole. Who knows what happened…the little shit was running to the bathroom all day on the field trip.

I was wondering if you ever made any coffee concoction at the shop using the magic sprinkles?

I was having a shitty morning at The Shop. Cree called in the middle of it and I went mental on his ass. Ten minutes later he strolled into the shop with sprinkles. He locked the door and flipped the switch on the open sign. I sat on the counter nursing my burnt hand and sore, chapped-ass nipples while he made me my favorite coffee. I hate being back at work, but everyone insisted I should work a couple of hours a week. Something happened when Captain started dancing and sprinkling my coffee with sprinkles. Those sprinkles on the white, fluffy cream lit my lady bits on firaaahh! I pounced on my husband like a dirty, slut ravaging every piece of him. The mixture of the coffee, sprinkles and Cree ignited some pretty crazy shit. Shit that would be considered illegal in most countries. Sprinkles are now served daily with the Blended Heaven drink.

…….Now onto the juicy stuff (mwahaha)

Last completely adorable thing The Captain did?

We had to wait awhile to take our honeymoon. I wasn’t ready to leave the farm and we had to make arrangements for Annie. We were scheduled to be gone for seven days. Seven days away from the farm and our family. The first four days flew by and then I was ready to be back home. Cree knew how much home meant to me, so he took me home without a complaint.

The first night of our honeymoon Cree surprised me with my bucket list thingy. Captain had packed it in his luggage. He made sure I checked EVERYTHING off of my bucket list thingy twice! The man is perfect and fucking delicious in an elevator!

If you had to use only three words to describe the last time you guys did the deed, what would they be?

Embarrassing, hot and unforgettable.

The dumbass convinced me that the front windows of his truck were tinted. We were out with the gang at the local bar and got pretty horny. We snuck out to the truck. Like I said, the dumbass convinced me the windows were tinted. We went to ravaging each other. Cree had me pinned down and was banging the shit out of me. We heard hollering and cat calls. Yep, we had an audience cheering us on. The only face I spotted was Old Man Jenkins and he was cheering along with the crowd.

Pretty much…embarrassing, hot and unforgettable.

You guys still venture out on the tractor (wink, wink)?

As much as fucking possible. There’s just something about green and yellow that heats up our relationship. Cree makes sure to buy me a new skirt every trip to town.

One thing Cree would absolutely die with embarrassment over if it ever got out? (…c’mon, it’s just between us, no one will ever know!)

Cree and I are the most competitive jack-wagons known to mankind. Cree is an absolute football fanatic. One night while watching a game we bet. Cree put all his pennies on Denver and I bet on Dallas just to piss him off. The loser had to run to the mailbox naked. Remember, we have a very long lane. I enjoyed watching Dallas whoop Denver. I let Cree wear his water boots to take his run of shame. Armed with the spotlight I didn’t miss a beat of my very sexy pirate jogging down the lane. At one point, he was jogging backwards whipping his member around in circles. This is where it gets funny! Cree ran into his godmother in the middle of the night, naked and in our lane. Donna (his mom’s best friend) had a flat tire and was making her way up to the farm for help. Did I mention he ran into her at the mailbox at the end of the lane? Being the gentlemen, Cree walked her back to the house trying to cover his junk the whole time. I literally PMP’ed down both legs watching my naked husband walk back up the lane. Donna promised not to tell a soul, and I was caught off for 2 days! Best bet of my life.

Blog Hop New Releases

Book Tour….Conquer Your Love by J.C. Reed

by Jilly

I am pleased to be a part of J.C. Reed’s Conquer Your Love Book Tour and bring you her delicious cover, excerpt and a chance to enter to win a $100 Amazon gift card and print copy of Conquer Your Love…

Enjoy!

Buy from Amazon ~ Buy from Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:

Meeting Jett was like bad luck. Dangerous. Unpredictable. And better avoided. In his game, the stakes are high. But are they worth the risk?

Brooke Stewart, a realtor in New York, finds forgetting is hard, but forgiving is harder. When the man she trusted, betrayed her, the only way to forget is to move on. Brooke is determined to start a new life, until she meets him again: the green-eyed, sexy as sin, six foot two sex god. The man who played dirty. The man who played her.

Sexy, handsome, and arrogant Jett Mayfield knows he has made mistakes. He could have any other woman, and yet it’s Brooke he wants. When second chances collide with secrets and Brooke is threatened by the past, Jett is determined to protect her. She accepts his help unwillingly because she needs him but she wants to play his game on her own terms. And she has no intention to forgive or let him back into her bed.

When the man she is supposed to hate is the one she should trust, will he conquer her…or lose her forever?

A woman who can’t forgive.

A man who has made mistakes.

Two lives that are about to cross again and more secrets laid bare.

Book Tour June 2013 New Releases

About the author:

J.C. Reed is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of SURRENDER YOUR LOVE. She writes steamy contemporary fiction with a touch of mystery. When she’s not typing away on her keyboard, forgetting the world around her, she dreams of returning to the beautiful mountains of Wyoming. You can also find her chatting on Facebook with her readers or spending time with her two children. To get in touch with Jessica use the contact form below. She tries to respond to each and every email in a timely manner.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter

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Officer Off Limits by Tessa Bailey Release Day Post & Giveaway

by Jilly

Happy release day to Tessa Bailey and Officer Off Limits!

In celebration, Tessa is giving away a $50 Amazon gift card! Enter in the rafflecopter below…good luck!

Synopsis:

“His need to possess her is non-negotiable.

Story Brooks’ fiancé just called off their wedding two weeks before the happy day. As if that isn’t bad enough, her semi-estranged father, an infamous NYPD hostage negotiator, has suffered a heart attack. Not wanting to examine her lack of emotion over the broken engagement, she hops on a plane to reconnect with her father before it’s too late.

Playboy hostage negotiator Daniel Chase has never, not once, been refused by a woman, so when a debate over hospital snack foods with a delectable kindergarten teacher ends in flat-out rejection, he makes it his mission to seduce her. His only obstacle? She’s the daughter of his mentor who implicitly forbade Daniel from pursuing her.

Despite her father’s warnings and Daniel’s troubled past, Daniel and Story can’t resist their intense attraction to one another. But when the reason for her fiancé’s abrupt wedding cancellation comes to light, can Story and Daniel’s already forbidden relationship survive?”

Officer Off Limits on Goodreads

Buy Officer Off Limits on Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the author:

Tessa lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and young daughter. When she isn’t writing or reading romance, Tessa enjoys a good argument and thirty-minute recipes.

Giveaway June 2013 New Releases

ARC Review…Officer Off Limits by Tessa Bailey

by Jilly

Officer Off Limits releases June 10

Buy from Amazon ~ Buy from Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:

His need to possess her is non-negotiable.

My Review:

Officer Off Limits is the third book in Tessa Bailey’s Line of Duty Series and if you’ve followed my reviews, you know I’m a huge fan of Tessa and her writing. I was beyond excited to get my hands on this book and after finishing it I can tell you….Tessa has done it again! This book was fantastic!

You know that saying “when it rains, it pours”? Well, never has that saying been truer than it is for Story Brooks right now. Her fiancé just dumped her, two weeks before their wedding, and now she has just gotten a phone call that her larger-than-life NYPD hostage negotiator dad, who she doesn’t exactly have a relationship with, has had a heart attack and is in the hospital. Who knows, maybe the unplanned trip to see her father in NYC just may be what she needs to gain some clarity on her life and make some decisions on what to do next with her future.

NYPD hostage negotiator Daniel Chase is used to taking orders from Jack Brooks…after all, Jack has taken him under his wing from day one and has taught him every thing he knows about hostage situations and negotiations. Now, after unknowingly meeting Jack’s daughter, Story, in the hospital vending area, he has explicit instructions from Jack to stay away from her. Usually Daniel wouldn’t think twice about obeying Jack’s orders but this is not an order he can follow. Add Story shooting down his usually successful flirt tactics into the equation and Daniel is now even more determined to get to Story a whole lot better even if it means disobeying orders and ignoring all sorts of lines not meant to be crossed.

Story and Daniel can’t deny the immediate attraction they both feel when they meet over vending machine snack choices but they don’t have much time to explore the feelings before Story is due to head back home to California. With so many things working against them, will they be able to ignore all the reasons they shouldn’t act on the attraction and instead, focus on all the reasons they should?

So I’ll say it again, this book was fantastic! FANTASTIC! Just when you think you’ve encountered all types of alpha males, and there can’t possibly any more facets to add to an alpha male to make them stand out above the rest, you get a new release from Tessa and BAM! welcome to your new alpha male obsession. Daniel was scrumptious. Drop dead gorgeous, he is all gruff and tough on the outside but holds a soft and slightly insecure inside that made me love him from the very beginning. He has the admirable quality of knowing his weaknesses and, although not always wanting to admit them, does when it was warranted. Story is a perfect pairing for him. She is witty, bright, strong and is willing to listen to that little voice in her head, even when it means she has to step outside of her comfort zone. The chemistry between them is undeniable and pulls the reader in and refuses to let go until the very last page. Delectable. Their story is a journey of finding happiness, coming to terms with the past and learning to trust and to love. So damn good!

If you haven’t read anything by Tessa, you REALLY need to…like, stop reading this review and get to the bookstore or go online and buy a Tessa Bailey book right now. She writes hot, sexy, and delightfully dirty dialogue like no other….add in some romance, mix in some drama like Tessa does and you’ve ALWAYS got a winner in my book! I can add Daniel to my list of fave book guys and this story to the list of books I will recommend time and time again. Thank you, Tessa, for another fantabulous read!

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Five Loves

About the author:

Tessa lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and young daughter. When she isn’t writing or reading romance, Tessa enjoys a good argument and thirty-minute recipes.

Blog Tour….The Waiting Game by Eve Devon

by Jilly

Buy The Waiting Game by Eve Devon from Amazon or Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:

Five years ago a madman stalked her. Kidnapped her. Tattooed her.

When security expert Cameron Dexter—the man Brooke Bennett once loved—appears unexpectedly at her door with terrifying news, the former musician discovers she can no longer hide from her past. After five years, her vicious kidnapper is out of prison and on the hunt—for Brooke.

Now he’s returned to complete his art.

Cam failed to protect Brooke once before. Now he’d rather die than let her be captured. With her life at stake, Cam vows to keep her hidden and safe. Brooke, however, is done with running. Unlike Cam, she wants to stand and fight. Emotions both old and new roil between them, but addressing their heated past must wait. Together they set a trap in London to catch a killer. But they soon discover the enemy wears many faces…

And waiting is no longer an option.

Giveaway

There will be a tour-wide giveaway for an Amazon gift card worth $20 or (depending on where the winner lives) and a handmade leather notebook.

About the author:

Eve Devon writes sexy heroes, sassy heroines & happy ever afters…

Growing up in locations like Botswana and Venezuela gave Eve Devon a taste for adventure; her love for romances began when her mother shoved one into her hands in a desperate attempt to keep her quiet during TV coverage of the Wimbledon tennis finals!

When Eve wasn’t consuming books by the bucketload, she could be found pretending to be a damsel in distress or running around solving mysteries and writing down her adventures. As a teenager, Eve wrote countless episodes of TV detective dramas so the hero and heroine would end up together every week. As an adult, still hooked on romance and mysteries, she worked in a library to conveniently continue consuming books by the bucketload, until realizing she was destined to write contemporary romance and romantic suspense herself.

Blog Hop June 2013 New Releases

ARC Guest Review….Phoebe Chase reviews Fire Inside by Kristen Ashley

by Jilly

Please welcome my friend, Phoebe Chase, and her review of Fire Inside by Kristen Ashley

Buy from Amazon ~ Buy from Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:

Lanie Heron isn’t looking for love—no surprise, considering her last serious relationship nearly got her killed. So when Lanie propositions Hop Kincaid, all she wants is one wild night with the hot-as-hell biker who patrols with the Chaos Motorcycle Club…

For Hop, Lanie has always been untouchable. She’s too polished and too classy for his tastes. But when she gives Hop the once-over with her bedroom eyes and offers him a night in paradise, he can’t say no. And he doesn’t regret it when he finds that Lanie is the best thing that’s ever happened to him—in or out of bed. Now the trick will be to convince her of that.

Phoebe’s Review:

Kristen Ashley writes books that readers liken to crack—and with good reason. Though she has written several books, I’ve only read the ones centered around the Chaos motorcycle club (with plans to read the rest!). Her characters are vibrant and her world building of life in a motorcycle club is detailed enough that I feel like I could walk into a biker bar and know how to act.

I’m a sucker for a redemption story, and Hopper Kincaid did not have the best reputation when it came to how a man should treat a woman. But Ashley redeems him one chapter at a time—with a few bumps in between—until you’re staring at the words and thinking, “Holy crap, he’s hotter and deeper than Tack.” No, really. Hop is my number one alpha biker male in Chaos right now. Lanie is damaged after going through a mess with her fiancé that got her and Tyra (best friend, old lady to Chaos leader Tack) kidnapped by the Russian mom, Tyra stabbed, and Lanie shot. And her fiancé dead due to his own stupidity. Lanie is gun-shy about getting involved with a man who lives a dangerous life, but Hop breaks through the walls she puts up and wins her heart and soul.

What Ashley got right—again—is the romance story and the ridiculously hot sex. What was missing from this book and the previous one in the series, Own the Wind, was the action. The Chaos series is an offshoot from Motorcycle Man and that book had both a great love story and some serious nonstop action (see previous comments about Russian mob, kidnapping, etc.). This book was missing that and missing that “crack” feeling. I needed a fix and it didn’t exactly deliver.

So, in a nutshell, hot alpha biker male who has issues, believable heroine who has some issues, and great story that works through those issues but lacking in the action. A definite must read.

Three-and-a-Half Loves

About the author:

Kristen Ashley was born in Gary, Indiana, USA. She nearly killed her mother and herself making it into the world, seeing as she had the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck (already attempting to accessorise and she hadn’t taken her first breath!).

Kristen grew up in Brownsburg, Indiana but has lived in Denver, Colorado and the West Country of England. Thus she has been blessed to have friends and family around the globe. Her posse is loopy (to say the least) but loopy is good when you want to write.

Kristen was raised in a house with a large and multi-generational family. They lived on a very small farm in a small town in the heartland and existed amongst the strains of Glenn Miller, The Everly Brothers, REO Speedwagon and Whitesnake (and the wardrobes that matched).

Needless to say, growing up in a house full of music, clothes and love was a good way to grow up.

And as she keeps growing up, it keeps getting better.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter

About the guest reviewer:

Phoebe Chase loves books. Keep your eye on her, she may just tempt you with some stories of her own. You can catch a little of what goes on in her head at Wickedly Twisted Tales.

Twitter ~ Facebook

Review….My Now & Forever by H.J. Bellus

by Jilly

My Now & Forever releases today!

Buy from Amazon ~ Buy from Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:

Whose parents abandon them in a trashy trailer when they are five years old? Oh Yeah! Mine do!

Hey Hoochies! I’m Milly, and I am tired of taking kicks to the gut. A broken family, an asshole husband and the loss of loved ones have left me crying Uncle, and declaring a serious case of the Fuck-Its!

I had my heart broken, stomped on and shattered before I ever started on my journey to find my little piece of happiness. With a bucket list, a ’66 Ford and wild dreams, I set out on an adventure that changed my life forever. Follow me on my journey that resurrected my inner badass.

I found my soul sista from another mista, and opened my dream shop along the way. Just when I gave up on finding true love, a pirate and a princess swept me off my ever lovin’ feet and filled my world with sprinkles, mac n’ cheese and the courage to live again. They forced my fragile heart to trust and love without fear.

Truth is, nobody’s past stays hidden forever. It’s an invisible monster waiting to attack and destroy. It has the capability to ruin everything you’ve worked to set right. All it takes is one final blow to the gut to end everything.

My Review:

My Now & Forever is the debut work from author H. J. Bellus and let me say, she started her writing career with a real bang! I was already hooked after reading the synopsis….and it only got better from there!

Milly starts out her story by giving us a glimpse into her awfully sad childhood…and I was crying by the second page. Things don’t really improve much for the funny, spirited, entertaining gal until the loss of the only person that has ever truly mattered in her life. That’s when Milly decides it’s time to take control of her life and happiness. This is where the fun begins! Starting off with a bucket list “thingy”, Milly takes us on an emotional ride that had me laughing hysterically one minute and crying the next. C’mon, you all know I love that kind of book! After she decides on a new place to start her new life, she finds true friendship and gets a chance at real love. We meet some amazing characters along the way…Lacey, her new BFF, and Cree, the new man in her life but typical for Milly, things are never easy. Cree has a past, and even though Milly is willing to take a chance and look past it, the past comes back to bite them in the ass. But Milly isn’t going to give up her new amazing life without a fight…and it’s one she’s determined to win.

I adored this book! ADORED! I finished it in a day, it was that good. Milly is just too amazing. She’s fun and bright and foul-mouthed and simply incredible. Her outlook on the craptastic cards life has dealt her is truly admirable. Life handed her lemons and she turned it into a spiked lemonade cocktail with a paper umbrella! She is a gal I would love to hang out with! Cree is freaking drool-worthy to the max. He’s gorgeous with a charm about him that had me sighing out loud on more than one occasion. Don’t even get me started on his magic sprinkles! (can’t spoil it for you, you just gotta read the book!) He is one hell of a catch and together Milly and Cree are book-couple perfection. They each bring the missing piece into one another’s lives and it’s magical to see play out.

I also have to mention that Lacey and Milly together are freaking HILARIOUS and have language that gives an insight on what girl talk is really like…at least for me and my gals it is!

So, add this book to your summer reading list and sit back and enjoy the ride….I know it’s going to be a book I will be recommending for quite some time! Thank you, H.J., for a kick-ass read and I can’t wait for more!

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Five Loves

About the author:

I am an independent author excited about releasing my first novel very soon. A big dream coming true!!! I’m all country…the kinda country where green grass grows and corn pops up in rows….love Miranda and her bad ass music!!! Just a simple country girl getting one story out of her head at a time…I always fall hard for a trucker style hat…especially if it’s a John Deere hat….loves me a good ol’ farm boy!!!!!!

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Blog Hop Book Tour May 2013 New Releases

Release Day Blitz….Avenging Angel by Cynthia Eden

by Jilly

Welcome to the Avenging Angel by Cynthia Eden Release Day Blitz!

Book Blurb:

EARTHLY DELIGHTS

With a messed up family background and a tendency to grow claws and fangs, Tanner Chance isn’t exactly the boy next door. But he’s a decent cop, and he keeps himself on the side of the good guys. Convenient, because when he rescues a survivor of a horrific shifter attack he finds himself instantly smitten—with an honest-to-goodness angel, as innocent as she is irresistible.

Marna may be angelic, but she’s not stupid or weak. She can take care of herself. Tanner is more temptation than protection anyway. Or so she thinks, until someone wearing her face starts taking out some of New Orleans’ more unsavory paranormals. With police and predators both gunning for her blood, Marna has no choice but to trust Tanner…even though what’s sparking between them is hotter than anything holy.

“Avenging Angel” By Cynthia Eden

EXCERPT

The delicate angel had broken.

Did she even realize that tears slid down her cheeks? Tanner Chance kept guard by her side. His hand was on her arm, stroking her.

He couldn’t seem to stop touching her.

They’d found her body in the swamp. At first, he’d thought that she was already dead.

So much blood.

Then she’d moved, and he’d realized just what his sick freak of a brother had done.

Sliced the wings right off an angel.

Her lashes lifted and her eyes, the palest blue he’d ever seen, locked right on him. No, those eyes seemed to see right through him. Tanner cleared his throat. He was a cop. He’d spent too many years seeing blank expressions like that on the faces of victims. “You…you’re safe now.” He’d keep her safe. “You just need to rest.”

She didn’t speak, and he didn’t know what else he was supposed to say to her. He never knew what to say to the victims. He just knew how to make the bastards who hurt them pay.

He was very good at delivering justice. But this time…

An angel.

She had to hate him. She knew who he was. Knew that his brother was the fucked-up asshole who’d tortured her. Tanner cleared his throat and finally managed to tell her, “I’m not like him.”

Her eyes never left his.

And he was still touching her. Her skin was the softest he’d ever felt. The smoothest. Her flesh was golden and perfect.

Or, it had been, until claws had ripped into her back and torn that flesh wide open.

Her breath exhaled softly. “When I’m stronger…”

Tanner leaned closer because he could barely hear her words. “What is it? What do you need?” Anything. He’d do—

“When I’m stronger, you should…stay away from me.”

He glanced at her small hands. They’d had to bind her wrists when they strapped her down. Not to hurt her, but to keep the little blond angel from hurting them.

The angel before him—Marna—she wasn’t some sweet and gentle guardian angel.

She was an angel of death. One who could, and had, killed with just a touch.

He could touch her all that he wanted. That was the way the game worked with angels. But the instant her hand touched him…

Dead.

If she wanted him dead, all she had to do was touch him, and she could send him straight to hell.

She smiled at him. The smile made her seem even lovelier and then the angel said, “When I’m stronger, when I’m free…get as far away from me as you can.” The faintest of pauses then, “Because I’ll have my vengeance.”

She didn’t look so broken anymore.

“Remember…to run, shifter.”

He didn’t move, and he damn well kept touching her. “I’m not the running kind.” Not anymore. The scared kid he’d been had died long ago. Now he fought any bastard who came his way—and he made sure to win his battles.

His angel kept her cold smile and told him, “Wait and see…you will be…”

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About the Author:

USA Today Best-selling author Cynthia Eden has written over twenty-five novels and novellas. She was named as a 2013 RITA^® finalist for her paranormal romance, ANGEL IN CHAINS, and, in 2011, Cynthia Eden was a RITA finalist for her romantic suspense, DEADLY FEAR.

Cynthia is a southern girl who loves horror movies, chocolate, and happy endings. She has always wanted to write (don’t most authors say that?), and particularly enjoys creating stories about monsters–vampires, werewolves, and even the real-life monsters that populate her romantic suspense stories.

Cynthia’s foreign sales for her books include translations to Japan, Germany, Thailand, Greece, and Brazil.

(Back in the day…) Cynthia graduated summa cum laude from the University of South Alabama where she studied Sociology (because people interest her) and Communication (because she likes to write about said people). Cynthia has worked as a college admissions counselor, a teacher, and as an editor. But now, Cynthia is thrilled to be spending her days making up stories.

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